Question

midsummer nights dream
by william shakespeare
oberon
having once this juice,
ill watch titania when she is asleep,
and drop the liquor of it in her eyes
the next thing then she waking looks upon
(be it on lion, bear, or wolf, or bull,
on meddling monkey, or on busy ape)
she shall pursue it with the soul of love.
and ere i take this charm from off her sight
(as i can take it with another herb)
ill make her render up her page to me.
but who comes here? i am invisible,
and i will overhear their conference.
enter demetrius, helena following him.
use the passage to answer the question
how does oberon’s soliloquy enhance the audience’s experience of the play?
(1 point)
the soliloquy explains to the audience why oberon wants titania’s page, which helps the audience feel empathy for oberon’s actions
the soliloquy gives the audience insight into how oberon and titania interact with each other, which helps the audience understand their relationship
the soliloquy gives the audience information that they would not have known otherwise, helping them understand and enjoy what happens next.
the soliloquy explains why oberon hides from demetrius and helena when they appear, which helps the audience understand oberon’s motivations.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• First option: Oberon’s soliloquy is about using the juice to make Titania give up her page, not explaining why he wants the page (the soliloquy shows his plan, not the reason for wanting the page). So this is incorrect.
• Second option: The soliloquy focuses on Oberon’s plan for Titania, not their general interaction. So this is incorrect.
• Third option: The soliloquy reveals Oberon’s plan (using the juice to make Titania fall in love with a beast/ape and then take her page). This is information the audience wouldn’t know otherwise, and it helps them understand the upcoming events (like why Titania acts as she does later). This matches.
• Fourth option: The soliloquy doesn’t explain why he hides from Demetrius and Helena; he hides because he’s invisible and wants to overhear, but the soliloquy is about his plan for Titania, not the hiding motivation. So this is incorrect.

Answer:

The soliloquy gives the audience information that they would not have known otherwise, helping them understand and enjoy what happens next.